A 16-month-old Aberdeen-Angus heifer was sold privately for £15,000 just minutes before winning the yearling heifer championship at the Black Beauty Bonanza show of Aberdeen-Angus yearlings and calves at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, last weekend.

Exhibited by Forfar butcher, Tom Rennie, Mosston Muir, Guthrie, Forfar, it was bought jointly by John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, and Jim Logan, Pirntaton, Galashiels, who use it in an embryo programme to establish a new breeding line for both herds. It is believed to be the highest paid for an Aberdeen-Angus yearling heifer this year.

The show, organised by the North-east Aberdeen-Angus Club and with Oldmeldrum-based Claas dealers, Sellars Agriculture, as main sponsor, attracted a record entry of 120 head from 29 herds. The parade drew praise from the judge, Doug Robertson, owner of the famous Coldstream herd, in Canada, who said the top cattle could compete with the best Angus anywhere in the world.

Mr Robertson judged Canadian style by placing the cattle from bottom to top which held the attention of the large audience throughout the judging of each class. He also gave a commentary on his placings at the end of each class.

Mr Rennie’s heifer, Mosston Muir Eline H205, is a daughter of the top performance sire, Rawburn Transformer. She is in the top 1% of the breed for both Terminal Index (35) and Self Replacing Index (52).

The heifer has been a consistent winner in the showring this year – standing reserve to her championship-winning dam, Mosston Muir Elsie D082, at several shows – and helping the Mosston Muir herd win the Walkers Shortbread Aberdeen-Angus Show Herd of the Year trophy for 2009. Joint buyer, John Elliot jnr, said the heifer was the ‘complete package’ of good looks and structural correctness with some of the most proven genetics in the world.

Both yearling bull classes were led by entries from the Blelack herd of Neil and Graeme Massie, Dinnet, Aboyne. The championship went to the 19-month-old Blelack Lord Hildalgo, a powerful son out of the first crop by Netherallan Peter Pershore – the second year in succession that Blelack won the yearling championship.

The long journey from Shetland proved worthwhile for new breeder, Jamie Leslie, Scholland, Virkie, Shetland, who won the heifer calf championship with the nine-month-old ET calf, Scholland Diana J406, by the Hoff Limited Edition son, Rawburn Echester, and out of Skaill Diana E355. Mr Leslie also won the award for the best small herd.

Enjoying a highly successful day were Hamish and Margaret Sclater whose Deveron herd at Denhead, Dunlugas, Turriff, picked up three firsts, three seconds, two thirds, two fourths, two fifths and a sixth before lifting the championship in the 60-strong bull calf section.

Their winner was the April-born Deveron Jackson Eric, by Blackhaugh Easy Papa, a sire recently sold to the Blackthorn herd, in Cheshire. Two daughters of the Blackhaugh bull also headed two of the four heifer calf classes, with the seven-month-old, Deveron Jasmine Erica J272, going on to stand reserve heifer calf.

For the third year in succession, the Sclaters also won the coveted McCombie Trophy, presented by Mrs Elizabeth McCombie, for the best pair of calves. Reserve was Mrs McCombie’s son, Charles, of Auchincrieve, Rothiemay.

Last year’s heifer calf champion, Deveron Elize H232, bred by the Sclater’s, stood reserve to the Mosston Muir heifer for the yearling heifer championship for her new owners, Oliver and Clare Russell, owner of the oldest herd in the breed at Ballindalloch, Banffshire, which was founded by Mrs Russell’s ancestor, Sir George Macpherson-Grant, in 1860.

The heifer, also by the Blackhaugh sire, was a first prize winner at Perth in February when purchased by the Ballindalloch herd for the top price of 6000gns.

Also enjoying a successful outing was Neil Gillanders, Eastville, Hatton, Peterhead, whose Newfield herd won two of the six bull calf classes with the seven-month-old, Newfield Pegasus, by the home-bred, Newfield Prince, going on to take the reserve bull calf title.

The second prize winner in the senior yearling bull class followed the Blelack bull all the way through to take the reserve yearling bull championship. This was Schivas Quigley, a February-born son of Ballathie Lord Jack, from Lord Catto’s Schivas Estates, Ythanbank, Ellon.

Some 30 youngsters took part in the junior showmanship competition on Friday evening, with the leading awards going to Hayley Massie (13 years and under), Gary Morrison (14-16 years) and Claire Johnstone (17-24 years).